Unni Karunakara is a happy man. He has fulfilled his life long ambition of cycling from Kashmir to Kerala. The 49-year-old doctor reached the capital city yesterday after 112 days of navigating through hills, plains and traffic and battling the biting cold, stifling heat and nauseating pollution.
“I have always wanted to cycle to Kanyakumari but between studies, work and life, I never got the time. I did do a round trip from Delhi to Leh and Srinagar as a medical intern at the Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, 25 years ago. And although I had hoped to extend the journey to Kanyakumari then, I fell ill,” says Unni.
The road trip was decided following Unni’s retirement from the post of president of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). He was the first Indian president of this 42-year-old organisation.
‘I retired from the post on September 31, 2013 and began my bicycle journey on October 12 from Srinagar. I didn’t have time to train for the trip as I was tied up with work although my doctor did give me a training regimen to follow. After leaving the office in Geneva in September, I came to India and began my trip.”
But why the rush? Couldn’t he have taken some time off to train and then start the feat?
“Well, I felt it was now or never. Besides I was going to return and settle in India after 25 years, I wanted to get to know India again. What better way to reacquaint myself with the country and its people then by travelling cross country on a cycle?”
The journey from North India to the South on a custom made bicycle took him through 10 states. “Once I made my mind to undertake the journey, I decided to combine it with my other passion – MSF. I decided to create an awareness campaign about medical humanitarian action and to raise money for people in need of healthcare the world over. I spoke to medical students and shared my experience with them during my journey. Perhaps some of them will be inspired.”
The journey, he says, has given him snapshots of the ground situation in India. “Hygiene – both in terms of lack of sanitation and access to clean drinking water is a problem. Even though we Indians pride ourselves on our personal hygiene, we are bad at “social hygiene”. Garbage is arbitrarily thrown and piled up on the streets resulting in people living in unhealthy environs. Also, highways cut through villages with no bridges or underpass. At first I was annoyed when pedestrians crossed the roads haphazardly. Then I realised they had to do so if they wanted to cross the road. Although the healthcare system in the country has improved, half the children dying of malnutrition in the world are from India. We are unable to overcome the last mile problem and ensure that healthcare reaches everyone,” he notes.
The cyclist was joined by cycle groups and riders such as Canadian Olympian Helen Upperton, economist Jyotsna Puri and author Jeet Thayil, along the way. “A small team accompanies me in a van as back up. They do my planning for the day and there are four bicycles in the van.”
The doctor who hails from Ambalapuzha says he hasn’t decided where to set down roots yet. “My mother lives at Ambalapuzha. I have some work to be done in Delhi, I will probably decide after that.”
